Its allll about previews this month at Spade Racing—check back every week for a different national touring series preview (Cup, Xfinity, Trucks) with a “Four Corners” flair. Why Four Corners? Well, most oval tracks have four corners, and Spade Racing does four pieces a week during race season (10th Anniversary Season this year!).
Here’s a look at how the currently-announced teams with (expected) full-time drivers will do this year in the Xfinity Series, conveniently split into four easy-to-digest categories. Note: (R) denotes a rookie
# Driver (Race Team): PREVIEW. Championship Odds Equal To:
Black: Chevy Blue: Ford Red: Toyota Gray: Multiple/TBA
1st Corner: CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS—expect these drivers to be competing for the Final Four shootout/crapshoot at Phoenix
16 AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing): The Dinger had a fantastic year last year, contending in the Xfinity Series and posting a win in Cup. Thankfully he seems to have an awesome personality, since “Guy who wins all the time married to a beauty queen” is usually a recipe to get booed. Championship Odds Equal To: that “clever” guy in your Pick ‘Em pool picking Dinger to win a Cup road course race every. Single. Time.
7 Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports): The Gator was the “best of the rest” last season, finishing fifth in points. Considering that his teammates are (essentially) a rookie, a guy competing for a full season for the first time, and a torpedo, I like his chances. Championship Odds Equal To: forgetting a race is on, guessing that Allgaier came home in the top five, and being right.
9 Noah Gragson (JR Motorsports): And here we have that torpedo. Gragson has a tendency to rub people the wrong way by, y’know, crashing into them. But the current points system plays to his strengths—going on a hot streak at the right time while escaping getting beaten up for destroying a backmarker team’s only race car. Championship Odds Equal To: Dale Jr. deftly avoiding criticizing him during a broadcast.
11 Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing): I honestly don’t know what’s stranger—Hemric winning his first-ever national touring series race in the championship finale, or the fact that we could very-well wind up with an all-Chevy Championship Four. Championship Odds Equal To: …well, having an all-Chevy Championship Four.
19 Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing): Can Brandon Jones crash the Kaulig/JRM party? Can he get back to his winning ways after a winless 2021? Is it possible that Menards/Rheem could stop sponsoring him? Answers: Possibly, Probably, don’t make me laugh. Championship Odds Equal To: Brandon getting a full-time Cup ride in the next three years.
? Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing): He doesn’t have MUCH experience—heck, he doesn’t even have a car number assigned. But Ty showed last year that he’s a VERY fast learner, and he has the ultimate sign of talent—people are already sick of him winning “too much”. Championship Odds Equal To: Ty growing bad teenage facial hair.
8 Josh Berry (JR Motorsports): Admittedly it’ll be an adjustment for Josh running the entire season for a single team. But he’s shown that he can adapt, be it to limited sponsorship, running as a substitute, or the crushing expectations of the Tangential Earnhardt Factor. Championship Odds Equal To: Michael Waltrip going the entire season without a “Berry good” pun.
2nd Corner: CHAMPIONSHIP CRASHERS—These drivers might not have the experience or the best equipment, but expect at least one of them to be in contention in October.
02 Brett Moffitt (Our Motorsports): The only thing that really stopped Brett’s championship hopes last year was not declaring for Xfinity points till Talladega. So this year Mustache Man will be loaded for bear. Championship Odds Equal To: ME going a mustache half as luxurious.
1 Sam Mayer (JR Motorsports): Its his first full-season—will Sam Mayer make “the leap”? Only time will tell. But since this is a preview, I’ll guess yes-but-not-till-late-in-the-year. Championship Odds Equal To: An entire year of people not spelling his last name wrong.
2 Sheldon Creed (R) (Richard Childress Racing): One of two rookies competing full-time for RCR, it’ll likely be more of an intra-team battle than amongst the championship contenders. But hey—the Whelen paint scheme looks cool. Championship Odds Equal To: Austin Dillon forgetting his cowboy hat.
? Austin Hill (R) (Richard Childress Racing): Hill comes in on the strength of eight Truck Series wins. But the fact that he doesn’t even have a NUMBER yet shows where he is on the RCR Austins Pecking Order. Championship Odds Equal To: Ty Dillon scoring a Cup Series win.
10 Landon Cassill (Kaulig Racing): Landon got the chance of a lifetime—a full-season shot in championship-level equipment after years running for back markers. But now the pressure is on—both for him to perform and for his sponsor to adequately explain what the heck they actually do. Championship Odds Equal To: Landon remembering that time he brought me Burger King.
98 Riley Herbst (Stewart Haas Racing): And here we are—Riley Herbst. He’s yet to show that he has the talent to handle the top-flight equipment he’s had at SHR (and JGR before that). And he does have a tendency to wreck said equipment on the regular. Butttttttt he has family sponsorship, so we’re all kinda stuck with him. Championship Odds Equal To: Riley going an entire month without an on-track incident.
3rd CORNER: CHAMPIONSHIP LONGSHOTS—it would be a surprise, but don’t count out these dark horses until they’ve officially been eliminated.
27 Jeb Burton (Our Motorsports): He picked up his first Xfinity Series win last year, but a late-season swoon cost him any championship shot. Our might not be at the level of Kaulig, but we’ll see if he can live up to the lofty goals of the #27 car set in Cup by men like Elton Sawyer and Paul Menard. Championship Odds Equal To: his cousin Harrison making the Cup Playoffs on something other than a fluke win.
23 Anthony Alfredo (Our Motorsports): Last year’s Cup excursion was…not good. But at least he found himself a good landing spot at Our. We’ll see if he can live up to the lofty goals of the #23 Cup car set in Cup by men like Hut Stricklin and Scott Wimmer. Championship Odds Equal To: getting #fastpasta trending.
31 Myatt Snider (Jordan Anderson Racing): Yes, its a step down from RCR to JAR. But at least he seems to have stable sponsorship to go along with a stable ride, despite his bizarre first name. Championship Odds Equal To: seeing the band Slayer in a TaxSlayer commercial.
39 Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing): The Official Underdog of Nascar is back, and while the Xfinity Series field is getting deeper and deeper, RSS Racing keeps plugging along. However, you don’t get to be an OFFICIAL underdog without occasionally contending for wins. Championship Odds Equal To: a Jeff Green victory tour.
07 Joe Graf Jr. (SS-Green Light Racing): Bobby Dotter’s team switches to a Ford/SHR alliance for 2022. Which means if Joe Graf Jr. somehow beats Riley Herbst in the points standings there’ll be hell to pay (for Joe). Championship Odds Equal To: Joe running a Dave Blaney Jack Daniels throwback scheme.
68 Brandon Brown (Brandonbilt Motorsports): It was a dull year turned controversial after his win at Talladega. But always remember—there’s no “U” in Brandonbilt…just an “I”. Championship Odds Equal To: Brandon realizing how much cooler it would be to run #86.
51 Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing): Jeremy made the Playoffs last year, but wasn’t much of a threat. On the plus side…well, I don’t really know how to finish this entry. Championship Odds Equal To: scoring a top-five on a cookie-cutter track without fuel mileage as a factor.
48 Jade Buford (Big Machine Racing Team): Oh, its that tire old story—rock climber and Porsche instructor goes Nascar racing with a record company executive in his 30s. Come on, Nascar—change it up a bit! Championship Odds Equal To: finding “the jade monkey before the next full moon”.
4th Corner: BACKMARKERS—they’re not likely to win, but they’re likely to give it their all.
? Bayley Currey (JD Motorports): The JDMwGK “Red Car Brigade” is fashionably late to announce their plans, but at least one driver has been confirmed. Championship Odds Equal To: everybody spelling both his names right all year long.
78 Josh Williams (BJ McLeod Motorsports): When the highlight of your season is contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr., that’s not a good sign. Championship Odds Equal To: having half the success of the Cup #78 team.
99 Stefan Parsons (BJ McLeod Motorsports): The son of Phil, Stefan might not be running for a top (or even mid-) level team, but he seems to have steady sponsorship. So there’s that. Championship Odds Equal To: a driver using “Johnny 99” as his Bristol intro music.
? Jesse Iwuji (R) (Jesse Iwuji Motorsports): He has Emmitt Smith’s backing. And he has some sponsorship. That’s about all we know. Championship Odds Equal To: Denny Hamlin going an entire year without a pit road penalty.